An introduction to Scottish Gaelic for harpists and singers

Pronunciation — basic sounds, stresses. Reading and speaking simple sentences for practice / communication. Brief review of resources. [Davine Sutherland]

Pronunciation (continued) —  simple grammar, word-order, vocabulary. Practice in using and recognising these features. [Davine Sutherland]

More nuanced pronunciation features, further vocabulary, grammar. Practising some useful phrases for music performance etc. Suggestions for further study. [Davine Sutherland]

In this session we will explore the tradition of heroic ballads in Gaelic Scotland, looking at why the texts were so popular, the collecting activity, transmission, and where to find texts and tunes. [Dr Anja Gunderloch]

In this session you will learn to pronounce and sing the lyrics of Alasdair a Gleanna Garadh, probably the most famous poem of the Scottish Gaelic Poet Sìleas na Ceapach (c. 1660-1729). Daughter of the Chief of the MacDonalds, she was the Gaelic poet of the 1715 Jacobite rising, and wrote this lament with heartfelt elegance of her kinsman Alexander, Chief of the MacDonalds of Glengarry, following his death in 1721. The tune comes from the singing of William Matheson, but also appears in the Angus Fraser MS (1816). According to Mr. Matheson, this tune was a popular mould for Gaelic poetry from the 18th century, being the only extant tune that fits poems of this meter. This may be the oldest poem to use the tune. Mr. Fraser asserts “other bards both before and after Sìleas day used the air exclusively in heroic or battle songs.” [James Ruff]

In this session we will recap the work we did in the previous session. A score for harp will be provided, and we will work on playing and singing the song at the same time. [James Ruff]